A charge that former England women’s boss Mark Sampson used racist language during a club meeting at Stevenage has been found not proven. 

Sampson was charged with misconduct in November over the incident, which was alleged to have occurred during a discussion over player recruitment.

It was alleged that while talking about signing a new player on September 2, 2019, Sampson said: ‘…a black Nigerian centre back, you can’t rely on them.’

But a hearing held earlier this month found the charge not proved and dismissed it, the FA said in an announcement on its official website.

The findings of the hearing also found that Sampson was branded as a ‘snake and spineless c***’ by former Stevenage boss Dino Maamria.

The 48-year-old was sacked on September 8 following a poor start to the season and Sampson, who was working as his assistant manager, was promoted to caretaker boss in his place.

Maamria admitted to being ‘annoyed and disappointed’ with Sampson as he expected all of his staff would leave the club with him.

After Sampson decided to stay on, he sent a WhatsApp message to him using the derogatory terms.

Maamria was in the meeting where Sampson was alleged to have used racially discriminatory language towards a Nigerian player. 

He told the FA that he responded to the alleged comment by saying: ‘no wonder Eni Aluko made a complaint, she must have been right about you’. 

Ali Uzunhasanoglu, another member of Maamria’s staff, also gave evidence about the alleged comment made by Sampson.  

Maamria was making reference to the former England women’s striker, who accused Sampson of making a racist remark about her Nigerian family not bringing Ebola to a game at Wembley.

Another allegation came from Aluko’s England team-mate Drew Spence, who complained about Sampson asking if she had been arrested before and then suggesting jokingly she had been arrested four times.

Sampson was cleared following the two investigations by the FA, but the governing body were forced to apologise in October 2017 when barrister Katherine Newton ruled following a third investigation that, Sampson was not racist, but on ‘the balance of probabilities’ had made comments that ‘were discriminatory on the grounds of race.’ Sampson also apologised.

Sampson had been sacked as England’s women’s manager a month earlier by the FA after they found ‘clear evidence of inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour’ due to his relationship with a female player, understood to be over 18, during his time as Bristol Academy boss, who he managed between 2009 and 2013.

However, Sampson eventually brought an unfair dismissal claim and received a ‘significant’ settlement in 2019.

It also later emerged that Sampson received a three-game ban by UEFA after verbally abusing two female officials and leaving one fearing she was about to be hit with a metal pole during England’s Euro 2017 semi-final loss against Holland.

UEFA concluded the ‘language Sampson used and his attitude grossly violated the basic rules of decent conduct’ and accused him of displaying an ‘aggressive and insulting attitude.’

An FA statement on Monday said: ‘A charge against Mark Sampson for a breach of FA Rule E3 has been found not proven by an independent Regulatory Commission.

‘It was alleged that a comment made by the Stevenage FC first team coach breached FA Rule E3(1) as it was improper and/or abusive and/or insulting.

‘It was further alleged that the comment also constituted an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it referenced race and/or colour and/or nationality.

‘Mark Sampson denied the charge and requested a personal hearing that took place at Wembley Stadium on 9 and 10 January 2020.’

A statement from Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace read: ‘The ‘not proven’ outcome was obvious to us after a very thorough investigation of the facts four months ago and I am pleased that the panel’s 17 pages of findings issued today concur with our own internal investigation conducted in September.

‘I am delighted that Mark is now able to concentrate fully on his future and not be troubled by allegations made by former manager Dino Maamria and former coach Ali Uzunhasanoglu after they had been dismissed.

‘The club have stood shoulder to shoulder with Mark because the evidence presented by those independents present at the time conflicted with the allegation.

‘Our club will never tolerate racism and we implement the EFL Equality Code of Practice to manage the club and safeguard the nine key protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, but that doesn’t mean we will stand idly by if we feel allegations are being used for a purpose.’

 

A court has cleared four former players of a Hong Kong Premier League soccer club of match-fixing charges. 

Kwok Kin-pong, 31, Michael Cheng Lai-hin, 32, Chan Pak-hang, 25, and Lee Ka-ho, 24, were found not guilty on charges of conspiracy to defraud and offering and accepting bribes after the judge said he had doubts about the testimony of a key witness in the trial.

There was applause in the District Court’s public gallery when the judge gave his verdict. 

The four men did not comment when leaving the court in Wan Chai. 

They were among five former Pegasus footballers charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) last year over accusations they fixed three matches in 2016 while offering and accepting bribes totalling HK$60,000 (US$7,700). They faced a total of seven charges. 

The league matches in question were in the reserve division organised by the Hong Kong Football Association in the 2015-16 season.

Former Hong Kong footballer of the year Lee Wai-lim, who was among the accused, would learn his fate on Friday. In January he pleaded guilty to one count of being an agent accepting an advantage and another of conspiracy to defraud. 

He has been free on bail pending sentencing at the end of the trial. 

On Thursday, District Judge Edmond Lee Chun-man said he had doubts about key witness Wong Wai’s testimony, which was crucial to the case. 

The judge said Wong, at the time a Pegasus player, who claimed he was not involved in the conspiracy, received HK$10,000 in advantages in the alleged match-fixing without questioning. 

Match-fixing still happening in Hong Kong, says soccer chief as he calls for legalised betting

“[Such behaviour] is totally different from one who is not conspiring,” the judge said, adding Wong spent more than HK$3,000 of the money on clothes, milk formula and driving lessons. 

The judge also said when officers from the ICAC took Wong’s statement of more than 1,300 words, they drafted it after spending only around 11 minutes with him. In comparison, officers spent more than two hours with another witness to get a statement of more than 1,200 words, which the judge described as “normal” procedure.  

He said these reasons deepened his doubts about Wong’s testimony. 

The judge said that in regard to one of the matches in question he was unable to tell whether an own goal by Lee Ka-ho was intentional or a mistake. 

An ICAC spokesman said the anti-graft agency respected the court’s verdict. 

Cheng, Chan and Lee Ka-ho applied for legal costs as they had been acquitted, but the judge rejected their application because he said they had laid themselves open to suspicion. 

Ulster and Ireland rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding have  been found not guilty of raping a female student at a house party two years ago, with Jackson also being found not guilty of sexual assault.

Two other defendants in the same case have also been found not guilty on all charges.

Blane McIlroy has been found not guilty of exposure, and Rory Harrison has been found not guilty of withholding information and perverting the course of justice.

The jury, made up of eight men and three women, deliberated the verdict for three hours and 45 minutes before returning unanimous not guilty verdicts to all charges.

Jackson, 26, from Belfast and Ulster teammate Olding, 25, also from Belfast, denied raping the same woman – then 19 years of age – following a night out in June 2016. Jackson, a 25-time capped Ireland international, also denied a further charge of sexual assault.

McIlroy, 26, from Belfast, denied exposure while Harrison, 25, from the same city, denied perverting the course of justice and withholding information.

The families of all four men were in the public gallery to hear the jury foreman read out the not guilty verdicts to each charge individually.

The nine-week case that began in January saw the defence argue that the woman made a false allegation of rape because she regretted consenting to group sex and feared that she may have been filmed with the images then potentially ending up being posted on social media.

The prosecution case was that Jackson allegedly pushed the woman down on his bed and vaginally raped and digitally penetrated her, before Olding allegedly walked into the room where the woman was forced to perform a sex act on him. It was alleged that McIlroy then entered the room, naked and holding his penis, with the woman then running out of the room.

The prosecution also alleged that Harrison “tried to cover up or manage” the woman, and took her home in a taxi.

A lawyer for the Public Prosecution Service told the trial that Jackson had “not sought her consent and indeed used force to achieve his aim”, and that Olding entered the bedroom while the complainant was being raped and joined in.

In the hours after the alleged incident, the woman attended a sexual health clinic and a sexual assault referral centre before making her first statement to the police the following day.

Under cross-examination, Jackson repeatedly denied he had forced the girl to perform sex acts against her will.

He said the complainant was one of a number of women that returned to his house after meeting the rugby players and their friends in a Belfast nightclub the day after they returned home from Ireland’s tour of South Africa.

Jackson said the woman had followed him to his bedroom on two separate occasions for consensual sexual activity.

Olding said he was “in complete control” of his actions following a day of heavy drinking with Jackson and others, and that he was “100 per cent sure” what had happened had been consensual.

Neither Jackson nor Olding have played for club or country since they were charged last July. Jackson made his Ireland debut in 2013 and was the second-choice fly-half at the time of being charged, while Olding made his international debut in the same year and has four caps to his name, with the most recent coming on the tour of South Africa alongside Jackson.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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CONWAY, SC (WMBF) – A former Coastal Carolina University football player who was expelled after a cheerleader accused him of rape filed a federal lawsuit against the university last week, alleging in court papers that he lost his scholarship because of false allegations and a flawed disciplinary system.

The former player, who is identified only as John Doe in court records, contends he was cleared by the Conway Police Department and a student conduct panel, but he was still kicked out of school last year because of the cheerleader’s complaint, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Jan. 31.

Coastal disputes the former player’s allegations.

“The lawsuit alleges that the university erred by dismissing him; however, the university acted properly and will vigorously defend the lawsuit,” Coastal spokeswoman Martha Hunn said via email.

The athlete was a standout high school player who was captain of the Fork Union Military Academy football team and received walk-on offers from the University of North Carolina and Coastal before ultimately picking the Chanticleers, according to court records. After a strong showing in spring practice, he made the team.

The lawsuit alleges the former player, who lives in Anderson, was a freshman when the incident that led to his expulsion occurred on Aug. 27, 2016.

The football player and the cheerleader had been drinking and flirting at an off-campus pool party that afternoon when the player asked the cheerleader if she wanted to have sex at her apartment, the lawsuit states.

The woman told him she did, but she didn’t want to be seen leaving with him because she had a boyfriend, according to the lawsuit.

They met at the back gate of the pool and walked to the apartment she shared with three other women, according to the lawsuit. Surveillance video shows the former player playfully carrying the cheerleader on his back.

The lawsuit states the two had sex, the woman fell asleep and the former player left.

Later that night, the Conway Police Department received a report about a sexual assault at the Coastal Club Apartments, according to police records and the lawsuit. 

The woman named two suspects, the plaintiff and another male Coastal student who had been in the apartment after the plaintiff left, the lawsuit states.

“She was very casual, unconcerned about the incident involving John Doe,” according to the lawsuit. “Instead, she appeared far more concerned about another male Coastal student who had been present in the apartment following her rendezvous with John Doe and while she had been asleep.”

Police records indicate the suspect from Anderson (the plaintiff) was not charged in the assault, but another person was. Miguel Valdes of Bel Air, Maryland, was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to Conway police reports. 

Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said the case against Valdes is still pending. A trial date has not been set. 

The woman told police she and the unnamed former player had gone to her apartment after the pool party, but she also said she had been dragged in the parking lot near the stairs, and that scene conflicted with the surveillance footage, the lawsuit states.

“During the interview with the city of Conway police, Jane Doe stated she felt compelled to make the report because the cheerleading coach urged her to do so,” the lawsuit states. 

Prior to the incident, the former player contends he and the cheerleader had consensual sex on multiple occasions, including at her family’s Conway area home and in his dorm room, according to the lawsuit, which says the cheerleader is not named because of privacy concerns.

Although the former player was not charged criminally, he was required to appear before the Student Conduct Board, which was comprised of five faculty members.

“On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, the Student Conduct Board adjudicated the rape allegation for four hours, hearing testimony from three witnesses, including Jane Doe and John Doe, and reviewed documents,” the lawsuit states. “The General Counsel for Coastal, who heads a two lawyer Legal Department and is its most experienced staff attorney, had been present at all times during the Board proceeding and deliberations to provide legal advice and guidance to its five members.

“After deliberating approximately two hours and by unanimous decision, the Student Conduct Board found in favor of John Doe, determining there was insufficient evidence to support the sexual misconduct allegation of rape against him.”

Email records filed with the lawsuit back up those claims.

The same panel also heard sexual misconduct allegations against the other student in the cheerleader’s apartment that night (Valdes), but the board ruled against him, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that Coastal’s student handbook provides that either party in a conduct hearing can appeal a board decision within three business days of the result. However, the accuser waited until Dec. 15, 2016, to file her written appeal, the lawsuit states.

“On this basis alone, no appeal by Jane Doe should have been considered by Coastal and instead, summarily rejected because by missing the appeal deadline, the Student Conduct Board decision was final,” the lawsuit states. 

Despite the board’s decision and the student missing the deadline, Coastal Provost Ralph Byington agreed to grant her another hearing, this time before a new panel, the lawsuit states. The plaintiff contends the appeal showed no evidentiary or procedural reason to justify another hearing.

“The decision by Provost Byington cited provisions of the Code of Student Conduct and states only, ‘that the accuser has an opportunity to submit an appeal in Title IX cases.’ That’s it, nothing else!” the lawsuit states. “As a result, Provost Byington ordering a rehearing of the original Student Conduct Board is a decision supported by neither substantial nor even a scintilla of evidence, making it not only a capricious and arbitrary decision, but so grossly erroneous that it constitutes a willful and wanton act of bad faith, with an anti-male gender bias.”

The newly constituted Student Conduct Board heard the case on March 31, but listened to no witnesses. Football players who knew both the accused and the accuser testified at the first hearing that they had seen the two interact at the pool on the day of the incident. But those teammates were not available for the second hearing because of a football-related trip on that date, according to the lawsuit. 

After deliberating for 25 minutes, the second panel determined the former player should have known the cheerleader had consumed too much alcohol to consent to sex, according to the lawsuit.

“The board found a preponderance of evidence to indicate that student [Jane Doe] was incapacitated by alcohol consumption, based on the statements provided,” according to Coastal’s statement, which is included in the lawsuit. “[John Doe] was familiar with [Jane Doe] from previous interactions and therefore reasonably should have known that [Jane Doe] was incapacitated and therefore unable to give consent.”

But the lawsuit argues the cheerleader was not incapacitated and a blood alcohol test showed her alcohol level was below the legal limit for driving in South Carolina.

The plaintiff also argues in court records that the cheerleader violated school policy during the disciplinary process.

The cheerleader contacted NewSpring Church of Anderson and told them the former player had been accused of sexual assault, the lawsuit states. As a result of the call, the plaintiff was banned from volunteering at the church and lost his job working with summer school programs there. The lawsuit argues those actions violate the school’s policy about retaliating against those involved in an investigation.

The former player’s lawsuit accuses Coastal of gender discrimination — against men. It says the school’s policies “are set up to encourage and facilitate the reporting of false reports of sexual misconduct and/or other grievances without any recourse for the falsely accused.”

“Coastal has created an environment in which an accused male student is effectively denied fundamental due process by being prosecuted through the conduct process under the cloud of a presumption of guilt,” the lawsuit states. “Such a one-sided process deprived John Doe, as a male student, of educational opportunities at Coastal on the basis of his sex.” 

The lawsuit asks that the university’s decision be reversed and the former player be readmitted to Coastal this year. The plaintiff is also seeking damages.

Clarence Davis, the Columbia attorney representing the former player, could not be reached for comment.

Contact Charles D. Perry at 843-488-7236

© Copyright 2018 Waccamaw Publishers, Inc.

The felony assault charges filed against N.C. State basketball sophomore guard Markell Johnson last month in a Cleveland, Ohio court were dropped Thursday, clearing the way for his suspension to end.

N.C. State spokesman Fred Demarest, in a statement, said the dismissal of the charges means Johnson is eligible to return to the team under the school’s Student-Athlete Code of Conduct. N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts has final say as to when Johnson will return to practice or play in a game for the Wolfpack.

Johnson, 19, was traveling from Cleveland to Raleigh on Thursday and was unavailable for comment. He is not expected to play for N.C. State when the Wolfpack faces No. 19 Clemson on Thursday at 9 p.m. at PNC Arena.

N.C. State’s starting point guard for its first 10 games this season, Johnson was suspended Dec. 14 after he was indicted on the assault charges. He has missed six games, including N.C. State’s first three ACC games. He hasn’t played since N.C. State’s 88-69 win over UMKC on Dec. 9.

Court documents from Cuyahoga County (Ohio) show James S. Gallagher, an assistant prosecuting attorney, signed the state’s motion to dismiss document Thursday. Shelly Ann Roth, a paralegal at the office of John Paris, Johnson’s attorney, said Thursday the charges had been dropped.

After Thursday’s game with Clemson, the Wolfpack plays at No. 3 Virginia at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Johnson, 19, and three co-defendants were indicted Dec. 5 on assault charges stemming from an Oct. 8 incident in Cleveland. Johnson, Demarious Green, Michael Melton and Johnnie Pullum were all charged with assaulting Michael Blackwell, 37, in Cleveland.

Court documents show charges were dropped Thursday against Johnson and Melton. The charges against Green and Pullum remain pending with a Jan. 16 court appearance scheduled.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

BEN STOKES has been cleared to cash in on the Indian Premier League despite being barred from playing for England.

Stokes was bought for $2.9 million (£1.7m) last year when he turned out for Rising Pune Supergiants in the auction, thesun.co.uk reports.

And the all-rounder could receive even more when he goes up for grabs in the latest IPL auction later this money with the salary cap increased by 20 per cent.

Stokes, 26, is still suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an alleged assault on a night out in Bristol last year.

But the ECB have given permission for the Durham star to be in the list of players available to compete in this year’s competition in India.

It means Stokes could find himself as one of the highest paid players in the IPL while still being unable to take part in international cricket.

The ECB imposed a suspension on the player in September after it emerged he was involved in a fight while on a night out with England teammates.

It meant the all-rounder was unable to be part of the Ashes squad currently touring Australia while police investigated the incident.

Officers have now passed on the file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether he will face any charges following the bust-up, which left him with a broken hand.

The ECB will only meet to decide on their stance going forward when the CPS make their decision, which is expected to be later this month.

There had been a hope the situation would resolve itself in time for the player to link up with the England squad in time for the third Ashes Test.

But with the delay in deciding if any criminal charges would be made, there was no chance of him being able to board a plane to Australia.

Instead, Stokes opted to take advantage of his downtime by flying out to New Zealand to visit his family while on a short-term deal with Canterbury.

Stokes played six matches during his stint with the side, although his form showed he was still rusty following his enforced lay-off.

The ECB also announced Stokes has been replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia in the five-match series beginning January 14.

Skysports.com reports Stokes was named in England’s squad for the series last month, even though he remains unavailable for international selection while he waits to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the famous fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Malan is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team – including with a maiden century in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

England’s squad for the Twenty20 tri-series, starting on February 3 against Australia and New Zealand, will be confirmed next week, with the squad for the spring Test series against New Zealand announced after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets underway on Thursday.

– This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk

BEN STOKES has been cleared to cash in on the Indian Premier League despite being barred from playing for England.

Stokes was bought for $2.9 million (£1.7m) last year when he turned out for Rising Pune Supergiants in the auction, thesun.co.uk reports.

And the all-rounder could receive even more when he goes up for grabs in the latest IPL auction later this money with the salary cap increased by 20 per cent.

Stokes, 26, is still suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an alleged assault on a night out in Bristol last year.

But the ECB have given permission for the Durham star to be in the list of players available to compete in this year’s competition in India.

It means Stokes could find himself as one of the highest paid players in the IPL while still being unable to take part in international cricket.

The ECB imposed a suspension on the player in September after it emerged he was involved in a fight while on a night out with England teammates.

It meant the all-rounder was unable to be part of the Ashes squad currently touring Australia while police investigated the incident.

Officers have now passed on the file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether he will face any charges following the bust-up, which left him with a broken hand.

The ECB will only meet to decide on their stance going forward when the CPS make their decision, which is expected to be later this month.

There had been a hope the situation would resolve itself in time for the player to link up with the England squad in time for the third Ashes Test.

But with the delay in deciding if any criminal charges would be made, there was no chance of him being able to board a plane to Australia.

Instead, Stokes opted to take advantage of his downtime by flying out to New Zealand to visit his family while on a short-term deal with Canterbury.

Stokes played six matches during his stint with the side, although his form showed he was still rusty following his enforced lay-off.

The ECB also announced Stokes has been replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia in the five-match series beginning January 14.

Skysports.com reports Stokes was named in England’s squad for the series last month, even though he remains unavailable for international selection while he waits to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the famous fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Malan is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team – including with a maiden century in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

England’s squad for the Twenty20 tri-series, starting on February 3 against Australia and New Zealand, will be confirmed next week, with the squad for the spring Test series against New Zealand announced after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets underway on Thursday.

– This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk

BEN STOKES has been cleared to cash in on the Indian Premier League despite being barred from playing for England.

Stokes was bought for $2.9 million (£1.7m) last year when he turned out for Rising Pune Supergiants in the auction, thesun.co.uk reports.

And the all-rounder could receive even more when he goes up for grabs in the latest IPL auction later this money with the salary cap increased by 20 per cent.

Stokes, 26, is still suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an alleged assault on a night out in Bristol last year.

But the ECB have given permission for the Durham star to be in the list of players available to compete in this year’s competition in India.

It means Stokes could find himself as one of the highest paid players in the IPL while still being unable to take part in international cricket.

The ECB imposed a suspension on the player in September after it emerged he was involved in a fight while on a night out with England teammates.

It meant the all-rounder was unable to be part of the Ashes squad currently touring Australia while police investigated the incident.

Officers have now passed on the file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether he will face any charges following the bust-up, which left him with a broken hand.

The ECB will only meet to decide on their stance going forward when the CPS make their decision, which is expected to be later this month.

There had been a hope the situation would resolve itself in time for the player to link up with the England squad in time for the third Ashes Test.

But with the delay in deciding if any criminal charges would be made, there was no chance of him being able to board a plane to Australia.

Instead, Stokes opted to take advantage of his downtime by flying out to New Zealand to visit his family while on a short-term deal with Canterbury.

Stokes played six matches during his stint with the side, although his form showed he was still rusty following his enforced lay-off.

The ECB also announced Stokes has been replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia in the five-match series beginning January 14.

Skysports.com reports Stokes was named in England’s squad for the series last month, even though he remains unavailable for international selection while he waits to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the famous fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Malan is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team – including with a maiden century in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

England’s squad for the Twenty20 tri-series, starting on February 3 against Australia and New Zealand, will be confirmed next week, with the squad for the spring Test series against New Zealand announced after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets underway on Thursday.

– This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk

Earlier this month, Hamilton Tiger-Cats Coach June Jones said that NFL castoff Johnny Manziel could be “the best player to ever play” in the Canadian Football League should he decide to take his talents north of the border. And now the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has been cleared to do exactly that.

CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement Thursday that the league is prepared to approve a contract for Manziel after reviewing his eligibility, a process that included an in-person interview:

“Since last summer, the Canadian Football League has been engaged in a thorough process to determine the eligibility of Johnny Manziel. This process has been conducted with the cooperation of Mr. Manziel and independent of the team which currently holds his CFL rights, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It has included an ongoing assessment by an independent expert on the issue of violence against women, a review by legal counsel, and an in-person interview of Mr. Manziel conducted by the Commissioner. As well, Mr. Manziel has been required to meet a number of conditions set by the league.

“As a result of this process, the Commissioner has now informed Mr. Manziel and the Tiger-Cats he is prepared to approve a contract for Mr. Manziel should one be negotiated.

“The process that led to this decision does, however, continue. Mr. Manziel has been informed he must continue to meet a number of conditions in order to remain eligible. These conditions, while extensive and exacting, remain confidential.”

Manziel’s NFL career lasted just two seasons and was marked by poor play and numerous off-field incidents. In April 2016, he was charged with misdemeanor assault over an incident involving his former girlfriend in Dallas. That charge was dismissed last month after Manziel attended an anger management course, domestic violence victim impact panel and court-approved rehab facility.

The Tiger-Cats have exclusive CFL rights to negotiate a contract with Manziel, and the team worked him out last year. Jeremiah Masoli, the team’s starting quarterback for the second half of last season, is set to become a free agent in February.

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